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nd　presence　offered　no　antithesis　at　all。　The　fundamental　unity　of　the　Sequency　and　Simultaneity　points　of　view　became　plain；　the　concept　of　interval　served　to　connect　the　static　and　the　dynamic　aspect　of　the　universe。　How　could　he　have　stared　at　reality　for　ten　years　and　not　seen　it？　There　would　be　no　trouble　at　all　in　going　on。　Indeed　he　had　already　gone　on。　He　was　there。　He　saw　all　that　was　to　e　in　this　first；　seemingly　casual　glimpse　of　the　method；　given　him　by　his　understanding　of　a　failure　in　the　distant　past。　The　wall　was　down。　The　vision　was　both　clear　and　whole。　What　he　saw　was　simple；　simpler　than　anything　else。　It　was　simplicity：　and　contained　in　it　all　plexity；　all　promise。　It　was　revelation。　It　was　the　way　clear；　the　way　home；　the　light。

The　spirit　in　him　was　like　a　child　running　out　into　the　sunlight　There　was　no　end；　no　end。。。。

And　yet　in　his　utter　ease　and　happiness　he　shook　with　fear；　his　hands　trembled；　and　his　eyes　filled　up　with　tears；　as　if　he　had　been　looking　into　the　sun。　After　all；　the　flesh　is　not　transparent。　And　it　is　strange；　exceedingly　strange；　to　know　that　one's　life　has　been　fulfilled。

Yet　he　kept　looking；　and　going　farther；　with　that　same　childish　joy；　until　all　at　once　he　could　not　go　any　farther；　he　came　back；　and　looking　around　through　his　tears　saw　that　the　room　was　dark　and　the　high　windows　were　full　of　stars。

The　moment　was　gone；　he　saw　it　going。　He　did　not　try　to　hold　on　to　it。　He　knew　he　was　part　of　it；　not　it　of　him。　He　was　in　its　keeping。

After　a　while　he　got　up　shakily　and　lighted　the　lamp。　He　wandered　around　the　room　a　little；　touching　things；　the　binding　of　a　book；　the　shade　of　a　lamp；　glad　to　be　back　among　these　familiar　objects；　back　in　his　own　world　—　for　at　this　instant　the　difference　between　this　pla　and　that　one；　between　Urras　and　Anarres；　was　no　more　significant　to　him　than　the　difference　between　two　grains　of　sand　on　the　shore　of　the　sea。　There　were　no　more　abysses；　no　more　walls。　There　was　no　more　exile。　He　had　seen　the　foundations　of　the　universe；　and　they　were　solid。

He　went　into　the　bedroom；　walking　slowly　and　a　little　unsteadily；　and　dropped　onto　the　bed　without　undressing。　He　lay　there　with　his　arms　behind　his　head；　occasionally　foreseeing　and　planning　one　detail　or　another　of　the　work　that　had　to　be　done；　absorbed　in　a　solemn　and　delightful　thankfulness；　which　merged　gradually　into　serene　reverie；　and　then　into　sleep。

He　slept　for　ten　hours。　He　woke　up　thinking　of　the　equations　that　would　express　the　concept　of　interval。　He　went　to　the　desk　and　set　to　work　on　them。　He　had　a　class　that　afternoon；　and　met　it；　he　took　his　dinner　at　the　Senior　Faculty　mons　and　talked　with　his　colleagues　there　about　the　weather；　and　the　war；　and　whatever　else　they　brought　up。　If　they　noticed　any　change　in　him　he　did　not　know　it；　for　he　was　not　really　aware　of　them　at　all。　He　came　back　to　his　room　and　worked。

The　Urrasti　counted　twenty　hours　in　the　day。　For　eight　days　he　spent　twelve　to　sixteen　hours　daily　at　his　desk；　or　roaming　about　his　room；　his　light　eyes　turned　often　to　the　windows；　outside　which　shone　the　warm　spring　sunlight；　or　the　stars　and　the　tawny；　waning　Moon。

ing　in　with　the　breakfast　tray；　Efor　found　him　lying　halfdressed　on　the　bed；　his　eyes　shut；　talking　in　a　foreign　language。　He　roused　him。　Shevek　woke　with　a　convulsive　start；　got　up　and　staggered　into　the　other　room；　to　the　desk；　which　was　perfectly　empty；　he　stared　at　the　puter；　which　had　been　cleared；　and　then　stood　there　like　a　man　who　has　been　hit　on　the　head　and　does　not　know　it　yet。　Efor　succeeded　in　getting　him　to　lie　down　again　and　said；　〃Fever　there；　sir。　Call　the　doctor？〃

〃Not〃

〃Sure；　sir？〃

〃Nol　Don't　let　anybody　in　here。　Say　I　am　ill；　Efor。〃

〃Then　they'll　fetch　the　doctor　sure。　Can　say　you're　still　working；　sir。　They　like　that〃

〃Lock　the　door　when　you　go　out；〃　Shevek　said。　His　nontransparent　body　had　let　him　down；　he　was　weak　with　exhaustion；　and　therefore　fretful　and　panicky。　He　was　afraid　of　Pae；　of　Oiie；　of　a　police　search　party。　Everything　he　had　heard；　read；　halfunderstood　about　the　Urrasti　police；　the　secret　police；　came　vivid　and　terrible　into　his　memory；　as　when　a　man　admitting　his　illness　to　himself　recalls　every　word　he　ever　read　about　cancer。　He　stared　up　at　Efor　in　feverish　distress。

〃You　can　trust　me；〃　the　man　said　in　his　subdued；　wry；　quick　way。　He　brought　Shevek　a　glass　of　water　and　went　out；　and　the　lock　of　the　outer　door　clicked　behind　him。

He　looked　after　Shevek　during　the　next　two　days；　with　a　tact　that　owed　little　to　his　training　as　a　servant。

〃You　should　have　been　a　doctor；　Efor；〃　Shevek　said；　when　his　weakness　had　bee　a　merely　bodily；　not　unpleasant　lassitude。

〃What　my　old　sow　say。　She　never　wants　nobody　nurse　her　beside　me　when　she　get　the　pip。　She　say；　'You　got　the　touch。'　I　guess　I　do。〃

〃Did　you　ever　work　with　the　sick？〃

〃No　sir。　Don't　want　to　mix　up　with　hospitals。　Black　day　the　day　I　got　to　die　in　one　of　them　pestholes。〃

〃The　hospitals？　What's　wrong　with　them？〃

〃Nothing；　sir；　not　them　you　be　took　to　if　you　was　worse；〃　Efor　said　with　gentleness。

〃What　kind　did　you　mean；　then？〃

〃Our　kind。　Dirty。　Like　a　trashman's　asshole；〃　Efor　said；　without　violence；　descriptively。　〃Old。　Kid　die　in　one。　There's　holes　in　the　floor；　big　holes；　the　beams　show　through；　see？　I　say；　'How　e？'　See；　rats　e　up　the　holes；　right　in　the　beds。　They　say。　'Old　building；　been　a　hospital　six　hundred　years。'　Stablishment　of　the　Divine　Harmony　for　the　Poor；　its　name。　An　asshole　what　it　is。〃

〃It　was　your　child　that　died　in　the　hospital？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　my　daughter　Laia。〃

〃What　did　she　die　of？〃

〃Valve　in　her　heart。　They　say。　She　don't　grow　much。　Two　years　old　when　she　die。〃

〃You　have　other　children？〃

〃Not　living。　Three　born。　Hard　on　the　old　sow。　But　now　she　say。　'Oh；　well；　don't　have　to　be　heartbreaking　over　'em；　just　as　well　after　all！'　Is　there　anything　else　I　can　do　for　you；　sir？〃　The　sudden　switch　to　upperclass　syntax　jolted　Shevek；　he　said　impatiently。　〃Yes！　Go　on　talking。〃

Because　he　had　spoken　spontaneously；　or　because　he　was　unwell　and　should　be　humored；　this　time　Efor　did　not　stiffen　up。　〃Think　of　going　for　army　medic；　one　time；〃　he　said；　〃but　they　get　me　first。　Draft。　Say；　'Orderly；　you　be　orderly。'　So　I　do。　Good　training；　orderly。　e　out　of　the　army　straight　into　gentlemen's　service。〃

〃You　could　have　been　trained　as　a　medic；　in　the　army？〃　

The　conversation　went　on。　It　was　difficult　for　Shevek　to　follow；　both　in　language　and　in　substance。　He　was　being　told　about　things　he　had　no　experience　of　at　all。　He　had　never　seen　a　rat；　or　an　army　barracks；　or　an　insane　asylum；　or　a　poorhouse；　or　a　pawnshop；　or　an　execution；　or　a　thief；　or　a　tenement；　or　a　rent　collector；　or　a　man　who　wanted　to　work　and　could　not　find　work　to　do；　or　a　dead　baby　in　a　ditch。　All　these　things　occurred　in　Efor's　reminiscences　as　monplaces　or　as　monplace　horrors。　Shevek　had　to　exercise　his　imagination　and　summon　every　scrap　of　knowledge　he　had　about　Urras　to　understand　them　at　an。　And　yet　they　were　familiar　to　him　in　a　way　that　nothing　he　had　yet　seen　here　was；　and　he　did　understand。

This　was　the　Urras　he　had　learned　about　m　school　on　Anarres。　This　was　the　world　from　which　his　ancestors　had　fled；　preferring　hunger　and　the　desert　and　endless　exile。　This　was　the　world　that　had　formed　Odo's　mind　and　had　jailed　her　eight　times　for　speaking　it。　This　was　the　human　suffering　in　which　the　ideals　of　his　society　were　rooted；　the　ground　from　which　they　sprang。

It　was　not　〃the　real　Urras。〃　The　dignity　and　beauty　of　the　room　he　and　Efor　were　in　was　as　real　as　the　squalor　to　which　Efor　was　native。　To　him　a　thinking　man's　job　was　not　to　deny　one　reality　at　the　expense　of　the　other；　but　to　include　and　to　connect。　It　was　not　an　easy　job。　

〃Look　tired　again；　sir；〃　Efor　said。　〃Better　rest。〃

〃No；　I'm　not　tired。〃

Efor　observed　him　a　moment。　When　Efor　functioned　as　a　servant　his　lined；　cleanshaven　face　was　quite　expressionless；　during　the　last　hour　Shevek　had　seen　it　go　through　extraordinary　changes　of　harshness；　humor；　cynicism；　and　pain。　At　the　moment　its　expression　was　sympathetic　yet　detached。

〃Different　from　all　that　where　you　e　from；〃　Efor　said。

〃Very　dif